Access ladder



Feb. 16, 1965 Filed Feb. 21, 1963 J. J. AMIC, SR 3,169,603

ACCESS LADDER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f- 8/ 8/ a 77 I .1 NH 35 \III a 47 a; i as 2/ Q 47 INVENTOR. JOHN J. AIM/C, SR.

BY 6M2:

Feb. 16, 1965 J. J. AMIC, SR 3,169,603

ACCESS LADDER Filed Feb. 21, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 5 FIG. 6 HEW INVENTOR. JOHN J. AM/G, SR.

BY zfdwmz,

United States Patent 3,169,603 ACCESS LADDER John J. Amie, Sr., 318 Branton Road, Louisville, Ky. Filed Feb. 21, 1963, Ser. No. 260,162 5 Claims. (Cl. 18278) This invention relates to an access ladder for providing access between adjacent upper and lower rooms and more particularly for gaining access to an attic, and which lad der is also adapted to be used as an extension ladder or an extension and stepladder combination.

One of the important objects of the present invention is to provide a unique multi-purpose ladder arrangement which is not only used as an access means for an attic but also can be easily removed from the access opening and used for independent ladder uses.

A further object is to provide such a ladder arrangement which is simple in construction and can be easily installed in an existing opening with a minimum amount of effort and without any alteration or revision to the opening.

A further object is to provide such a ladder arrangement which is easy to operate and easy to assemble by the purchaser. V

A further object is to provide such a ladder arrangement which has no springs or levers that can break or malfunction, as in other types of access ladder arrangements, and yet to provide a unique ladder arrangement that is efficient in operation.

A further object is to provide a unique combination of the ladder with the trap door, joist, and counterbalancing means so that the ladder can be quickly and easily moved into and out of a stored position.

A further object is to provide such a combination in which the joist is used 'as a place upon which the ladder is adapted to slide, and to pivot into and out of the stored position.

A further object is to provide such a ladder arrangement that necessitates very little floor space requirements so that it can be installed in places such as closets and the like where space is limited.

A further object is to provide a ladder arrangement which will take care of substantially all the needs of any type ladder around the home.

A further object is to provide unique means for maintaining the ladder sections in an extended position, which means acts as a safety means to prevent the upper section from sliding relative to the lower section.

A further object is to provide an attic access ladder that is adjustable to accommodate any height between floor and ceiling.

A further object is generally to improve the design and construction of access ladders.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manin the operation of the ladder.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the device taken as on the line VV of FIG. 6.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the ladder shown attached to the trap door and in an intermediate position of operation between a housed and an in use position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken as on the line VlI-VII of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the ladder shown in an independent use as a regularextension ladder.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 of a modification of the lower section of the ladder, with only a fragmentary portion of the upper section being shown, and with an open positionof the lower section being shown in dotted lines when used as a stepladder.

Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, and referring first more particularly to FIG. 1, wherein is shown a typical installation 11 of the present invention, it will be seen that the installation 11 is in a building, such as a house 13, having an upper room 15, which is usually an attic, as shown, and an adjacent lower room 17. The floor of the lower room 17 is shown as at 19; the ceiling of the lower room 17 is shown as at 21; and an opening in. the ceiling 21,

.which communicates lower room 17 and attic 15, is

shown as at 23. A trap door 25 is pivotally mounted, as by hinges 27, for pivot about a horizontal axis between open positions of the trap door, as seen in FIGS. 1, 3, 4, 5 and 6, and a closed position, as shown in FIG. 2, wherein the trap door closes opening 23. Suitable latch means of well-known construction is shown as at 29 for latching trap door 25 in said closed position, particularly when the ladder of the present invention is removed from its position and usedv elsewhere, as will be better understood in the description of the operation of the device 'later to follow in the specification. A joist, which plays an important part in the present invention and which defines oneside of opening 23 in ceiling 21, is designated as at 31 and is the joist adjacent the hinged edge 33 of trap door 25. A pair of laterally spaced guide members 35 are attached to joist 31 and extend upwardly therefrom, as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 6.

Referring first to the preferred embodiment of the ladder of the presentinvention, which is shown in FIGS. 1-8, the ladder per se is designated as at 37. When ladder '37 is in an in use position to gain access to attic 15 from lower room 17, the lower end 39 of'the ladder 37 rests on floor 19 and the upper end 41 rests against joist 31 between guide members 35. Also, it will be understood that when the ladder 37 is in said in use position, the trap door 25 will be in the open position shown.

Ladder 37 includes an upper ladder section 43 and a lower ladder section 45. Upper ladder section 43 includes the usual laterally spaced side members 47 rigidly interconnec'tedby the usual steps 49. Lower ladder section similarly includes the usual side members 51 interconnected by the usual steps 53. Two pairs of holding hands. 55 are respectively fixedly attached to the f side members 47 and extend forwardly beyond the front edges 57 of side members 47 in perpendicular relationship thereto. Each of the bands 55 adjacent the distal ends thereof are provided with inturned portions 59 that overlap the forward edges 61 of side members 51 to hold the upper and lower ladder sections 43, .5 together with the rearward edges 63 of side members 51 being held against the forward edges 57, and yet permit sliding movement of one relative to the other. When ladder 37 is in said extended position, only the upper end of lower ladder section 45 is overlapping the lower end of upper ladder. section 43, as best seen in FIG. 1.

A pair of locking blocks 55 are respectively pivotally attached to side members 47 by suitable meansas at 67. Each of locking blocks 65 is provided with a V-shaped notch 69 adjacent the lower end thereof, which notch is adapted to be engaged by the rearward edge 71 of the top step 53a of the lower ladder section 45, as best seen in FIG. 1, to support upper ladder section 43 in a fixed position relative to the lower section and prevent the ladder from collapsing. In addition, it should be pointed out that the notch 69 will also engage any of the other steps 53 of the lower ladder section 45, thereby giving the user the height desired.

An elongated flexible pull member 7 7, such as a rope or 'the like, is movably mounted in attic 15 in spaced relation above the floor 79 of the attic, as by extending the pull member through a pair of spaced apart eye bolts 31 that are respectively attached to the rafters 83 of the attic, as best seen in FIG. l-4. A counterweight 85, which is preferably in the form of a small bag of sand for economic reasons, is attached to one end of the pull member 77, and the opposite end of the pull member is removably coupled to the upper end 41 of ladder 37 as by tying the end to a hook member 87 which is removably hooked over a bridle member 89, such as a rope or the like. Bridle member 89 in turn is fixedly attached to the ladder 37 as by extending the ends of the bridle member through apertures 91 in side members 47 and thenknotting the ends of the rope.

In moving the ladder 37 from the in use position shown in FIG. 1 to the stored or housed position shown in FIG. 2, the following procedure is followed:

Upper ladder section 43 and lower ladder section 4 are unlatched for sliding movement relative to each other by disengaging locking blocks 65 from rearward edge 71. It will be understood that upper ladder section 43 will 'have to be moved slightly upwardly relative to lower ladder section 45 so that the locking blocks 65 can be disengaged, as above described, and pivoted downwardly out of the way of the lower ladder section, so that the ladder 37 can be moved into a retracted position, best seen in FIG. 4, in which the ladder sections 43, 45 overlap along substantially the overall length thereof. For purposes of clarity, the ladder 37, when in the overlapped or retracted position shown in FIG. 4, will be designated overlapped ladder 92 and the lower end thereof will be designated 93. It will be understood that this movement from said extended position of ladder 37 to said retracted position is accomplished by sliding lower section 45 upwardly on upper section 43. After ladder 37 has been moved into said retracted position, it is retained in this position by a latch, which is preferably in the form of a hook 94 pivotally mounted from upper ladder section 43 adjacent the lower end thereof, that engages an eyelet 95 attached to lower ladder section 45 adjacent the lower end thereof. Then, overlapped ladder 92 is slid upwardly on joist 31 into opening 23 until the lower end 93 thereof is adjacent trap door 25. Next,:the lower end 93 is detachably interconnected to trap door 25, preferably by the following means: A' pair of hooks 96 are respectively attached to a block 97 which, inturn, is fixedly attached to the inside surface 99 of trap door 25. A pair of pins 101 are respectively fixedly attached to side members 47 and extend inwardly therefrom and are adapted to be engaged by hooks 96, as best seen in FIGS. 3 and -7, to detachably interconnect overlapped ladder 92 and trap door 25. In addition, it will be understood that other suitable means such as a tie rod, not shown,

extending between side members 47 can be used in place of pins 101 without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

When overlapped ladder 92 is attached to trap door 25, as above described, the greater part of the ladder extends pivot joint.

4 upwardly beyond joist 31, which establishes a moment arm A (i.e., the portion of the overlapped ladder 92 to the right of joist 31, as viewed in FIG. 3) which causes overlapped ladder 92 to have a tendency to pivot on the joist in a first direction (clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3)

to carry the upper end of the overlapped ladder downwardly and the lower end upwardly about the joist as a It will be understood that since the .lower end of the overlapped ladder 92 is attached to the trap door 25, the trap door will be drawn upwardly thereby into a closed position when the ladder pivots into the housed position, as shown in FIG. 2. Also, it will be understood that the counterbalacing force caused by counterweight acting through pull member 77 to pull upwardly on the upper end of the overlapped ladder 92 is in opposition to and less than the force of moment arm A.

In moving the ladder 37 from the housed position shown in FIG. 2 to the extended position shown in FIG. 1, it will be understood that substantially the reverse of the above mentioned procedure should be used. Also, it will be understood that member 77 acts as a safety measure in bringing the unit down from its stored position since ladder 37 cannot drop because counterweight 85 will hit eye bolt 81 and stop.

To use ladder 37 separate and apart from opening 23, as, for example, for other independent uses to which an extension ladder would normally be put, it will be understood that it is only necessary to detach hook 37 from bridle member 89 so that the ladder can be removed. After removal from bridle member 89, hook 87 is preferably engaged in an eye bolt 103 fixedly attached to floor 79 adjacent opening 23 so that the hook 87 may be reached easily when it is desired to again attach it to bridle member 89. Also, the weight will be held in an upward position, as best shown in FIG. 4 by the dotted line position. One use of ladder 37 is shown in FIG. 8, wherein it will be seen the ladder is resting against the side S of a building so that it can be used for working on the building.

A modified form of the ladder per se is shown in FIG. 9 as at 105. Ladder 105 is substantially the same construction as ladder 37 with the upper ladder section 43 being the same in both embodiments, but with the lower ladder section 107 of the modified ladder 105 being in the form of a stepladder. The lower ladder section or stepladder 107 is of usual construction including a front portion 109 having transverse steps 111 and including a back portion 113 pivoted to the front portion adjacent the upper end thereof as at 115 in the usual manner. In addition, the usual articulated brace 117 is provided between the front portion 109 and the back portion 113. When lower ladder section 107 is assembled with upper ladder section 43, it will be understood that the back portion 113 is folded against the front portion 109 so that the rearward edge 119 of back portion 113 is slidable along the forward edge 57 of upper ladder section 43. Also, it will be understood that when it is desired to use lower ladder section 107 as a stepladder, upper ladder section 43 is removed therefrom, and the back portion 113 is unfolded from front portion 109 until in the broken line position shown in FIG. 9 to support the ladder. Also, it will be understood that in ladder 37 the two ladder sections 43, 45 can be separated so that the sections can be used independently, as, for example, where a smaller ladder is needed.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that a very handy, convenient and useful ladder arrangement is provided which is adapted to be used for many purposes around the house. In addition, it will be understood that such a ladder is provided which can be easily installed in an existing opening and without alteration to the opening. This is in contrast to many previous types of attic ladder arrangements wherein it was necessary to make a number of alterations to adapt the ladders to sary to cut ceiling joists and tear out, the ceiling plaster to install the unit. Additionally, it will be understood that the trap door of the present invention can be made from an existing drop lid. In addition, it can be seen that a very convenient storage place is provided for the ladder when not in use, and the removal of the ladder from its storage place is simple and easy to accomplish. Furthermore, in the present invention there is less floor space requirement which allows the unit to be easily installed and used when the access hole is in a closet. 7

Although the invention has been described in some detail by way of illustration and example for purposes of clarity or understanding, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and-modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

I 1. In a building having an upper room and an adjacent lower room and being provided with a ceiling opening between said upper and lower rooms, a joist adjacent said opening, a trap door pivotally mounted from said building adjacent said opening for pivot between an open and closed position of said opening, a ladder having a lower end and an upper end, said ladder when in an extended position having its lower end resting on the floor of said lower room and its upper end resting against said joist; said ladder including an upper section, a lower section, and means removably holding said sections together for movement of said ladder from said extended position in which only the adjacent ends of said sections overlap to a retracted position in which said sections overlap along substantially the overall length thereof, means interacting between said upper and lower sections for latching said ladder in said retracted position, when said ladder is in said retracted position said ladder being slidable upwardly on said joist into said opening to move the lower end thereof adjacent said trap door and to extend the greater part of said retracted ladder beyond said joist and establish a moment arm causing said ladder to have a tendency to pivot on said joist in a first direction to carry the lower end of said retracted ladder upwardly, pivot means detachably interconnecting said retracted ladder adjacent the lower end thereof to said trap door whereby the tendency of the lower end of said retracted ladder to move upwardly is effective to pull said trap door upwardly into a closed position as the ladder pivots about said joist into a housed position in said upper room; counterbalancing means including an elongated pull member movably mounted in said upper room, means detachably connecting one end of said pull member to said ladder adjacent the upper end thereof, and weight means attached to said pull member adjacent the opposite end of said pull member from said one end for causing a counterbalancing force to be exerted on the upper end of said retracted ladder in opposition to and less than the force of said moment arm.

2. In a building having an upper room and an adjacent lower room and being provided with a ceiling opening between said upper and lower rooms, a joist adjacent said opening, a trap door pivotally mounted from said building adjacent said opening for pivot between an open and closed position of said opening, a ladder having a lower end and an upper end, said ladder when in an extended position having its lower end resting on the floor of said lower room and its upper end resting against said joist; said ladder including an upper section, a lower section, and means removably holding said sections together for movement of said ladder from said extended position in which only the adjacent ends of said sections overlap to a retracted position in which said sections overlap along substantially the overall length thereof, means interacting between said upper and lower sections for latching said ladder in said retracted position, when said ladder is in said retracted position said ladder being slidable upwardly on said joist into said opening to move the lower end thereof adjacent said trap door and to extend the greater part of said retracted ladder beyond said joist and establish a moment arm causing said ladder to have a tendency to pivot on said joist in a first direction to carry the lower end of said retracted ladder upwardly, pivot means detachably interconnecting said retracted'ladder adjacent the lower end thereof to said trap door whereby the tendency of the lower end of said retracted ladder to move upwardly is effective to pull said trap door upwardly into a closed position as the ladder pivots about said joist into a housed position in said upper room; counterbalancing means including an elongated pull 7 member movably mounted in said upper room, means detachably connecting one end of said pull member to said ladder adjacent the upper end thereof, and weight means attached to said pull member adjacent the opposite end of said pull member from said one end for causing a counter-v balancing force to be exerted on the upper end of said retracted ladder in opposition to and less than the force of said moment arm; said ladder being detachable from said pull member, from said trap door, and removable from said joist whereby said ladder is adapted to be used as an independent ladder for independent uses; and said ladder sections being removable one from the other whereby said ladder sections are respectively adapted to be used for independent uses.

3. In a building having an upper room and an adjacent lower room and being provided with a ceiling opening between said upper and lower rooms, a joint adjacent said opening, a trap door pivotally mounted from said building adjacent said opening for pivot between an open and closed position of said opening, a pair of laterally spaced guide members attached to said joist and up tanding therefrom, a ladded having a lower end and an upper end, said ladder when in an extended position having its lower end resting on the floor of said lower room and its upper end resting against said joist between said guide members; said ladder including an upper section, a lower section, and means removably holding said sections together for movement of said ladder from said extended position in which only the adjacent ends of said sections overlap to a retracted position in which said sections overlap along ubstantially the overall length thereof, at least one locking block provided with a V-shaped notch adjacent the lower end thereof, means pivotally mounting said locking block on said upper section for pivot between an engaged position with the upper end of said lower section to support said upper section in a fixed position relative to said lower section when said ladder is in said extended position and a disengaged position away from said lower" section whereby said lower section can be moved relative to said upper section to place said ladder in said retracted position, when said ladder is in said retracted position said ladder being slidable upwardly on said joist into said opening to move the lower end thereof adjacent said trap door and to extend the greater part of said retracted ladder beyond said joist and establish a moment arm causing said ladder to have a tendency to pivot on said joist in a first direction to carry the lower end of said retracted ladder upwardly, pivot means detachably interconnecting said retracted ladder adjacent the lower end thereof to said trap whereby the tendency of the lower end of said retracted ladder to move upwardly is effective to pull said trap door upwardly into a closed position as the ladder slidably pivots about said joist into a housed position in said upper room; counterbalancing means including an elongated pull member movably mounted in said upper room, means detachably connecting one end of said pull member to said ladder adjacent the upper end thereof, and Weight means attached to said pull member adjacent the opposite end of said pull member from said one end for causing a counterbalancing force to be exerted on the upper end of said retracted ladder in opposition to and less than the force of said moment arm; said ladder being detachable from said pull member, from said trap door,

pendent uses; and said ladder sections being removable one from the other whereby said ladder sections are respectively adapted to be used for independent uses.

4. The structure according to claim 3 in which means is provided in the upper one of said rooms for limiting 10 a folded position and an unfolded position, said step- 15 ladder being held in a folded position by said upper section when in assembled relationship therewith, aid stepladder being detachable from said upper section for independent uses as an unfolded free-standing stepladder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Powers June 2, 1891 453,294 532,700 Possin Jan. 15, 1895 1,344,371 Badger et al. June 22, 1920 1,461,952 Walchli July 17, 1923 2,163,142 Frazier June 20, 1939 2,877,260 McKinnie May 19, 1959 OTHER REFERENCES 785,231 Great Britain Oct. 23, 1957 

1. IN A BUILDING HAVING AN UPPER ROOM AND AN ADJACENT LOWER ROOM AND BEING PROVIDED WITH A CEILING OPENING BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER ROOMS A JOIST ADJACENT SAID OPENING, A TRAP DOOR PIVOTALLY MOUNTED FROM SAID BUILDING ADJACENT SAID OPENING FOR PIVOT BETWEEN AND OPEN AND CLOSED POSITION OF SAID OPENING, A LATTER HAVING A LOWER END AND AN UPPER END, SAID LADDER WHEN IN A EXTENDED POSITION HAVING ITS LOWER END RESTING ON THE FLOOR OF SAID LOWER ROOM AND ITS UPPER END RESTING AGAINST SAID JOIST; AND LADDER INCLUDING AN UPPER SECTION, A LOWER SECTION, AND MEANS REMOVABLY HOLDING SAID SECTIONS TOGETHER FOR MOVEMENT OF SAID LADDER FROM SAID EXTENDED POSITION IN WHICH ONLY THE ADJACENT ENDS OF SAID SECTIONS OVERLAP ALONG A RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH SAID SECTIONS OVERLAP ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE OVERALL LENGTH THEREOF, MEANS INTERACTING BETWEEN SAID UPPER AND LOWER SECTIONS FOR LATCHING SAID LADDER IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION, WHEN SAID LADDER IS IN SAID RETRACTED POSITION SAID LADDER BEING SLIDABLE UPWARDLY ON SAID JOIST INTO SAID OPENING TO MOVE THE LOWER END THEREOF ADJACENT SAID TRAP DOOR AND TO EXTEND THE GREATER PART OF SAID RETRACTED LADDER BEYOND SAID JOIST AND ESTRABLISH A MOMENT ARM CAUSING SAID LADDER TO HAVE A TENDENCY TO PIVOT ON SAID JOIST IN A FIRST DIRECTION TO CARRY THE LOWER END OF SAID RETRACTED LADDER UPWARDLY, PIVOT MEANS DETACHABLY INTERCONNECTING SAID RETRACTED LADDER ADJACENT THE LOWER END THEREOF TO SAID TRAP DOOR WHEREBY THE TENDENCY OF THE LOWER END OF SAID RETRACTED LADDER TO MOVE UPWARDLY IS EFFECTIVE TO PULL SAID TRAP DOOR UPWARDLY INTO A CLOSED POSITION AS THE LADDER PIVOTS ABOUT SAID JOIST INTO A HOUSED POSITION IN SAID UPPER ROOM; COUNTERBALANCING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELONGATED PULL MEMBER MOVABLY MOUNTED IN SAID UPPER ROOM, MEANS DETACHABLY CONNECTING ONE END OF SAID PULL MEMBER TO SAID LADDER ADJACENT THE UPPER END THEREOF, AND WEIGHT MEANS ATTACHED TO SAID PULL MEMBER ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID PULL MEMBER FROM SAID ONE END FOR CAUSING A COUNTERBALANCING FORCE TO BE EXERTED ON THE UPPER END OF SAID RETRACTED LADDER IN OPPOSITION TO AND LESS THAN THE FORCE OF SAID MOMENT ARM. 